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Editing translations: Part II: Why is editing/revising a translation necessary?

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Here are some reasons why a translation may have to be revised/edited:

  • There are many typographical and spelling errors
  • Problems with numbered headings
  • The text is not written in a way appropriate to the genre, e.g. a recipe that does not follow

the required form

  • Unidiomatic word combinations and phrases
  • You have to read a sentence twice to get the point
  • You often come across a word like "it" or "they" and you cannot tell what it refers to.
  • In a narrative text, it is hard to follow the sequence of events. Difficult to follow the steps of an argument.
  • There are passages that contradict each other.

Source: Brian Mossop, "Revising and Editing for Translators."